Northern Thailand’s famous Chiang Mai Lantern Festival (Loy Krathong) will take place this year on November 5th and 6th. To welcome the influx of travelers, the local airport has comprehensively adjusted its flight schedules. In order to avoid flight safety risks during the lantern release times, the latest takeoff and landing time during the festival will be pushed forward to 19:00.
According to Thai media reports, it is expected that during the festival, Chiang Mai Airport will handle over 32,000 passengers daily, an increase of around 17% compared to usual days.
As of October 31st, a total of 161 flights have been affected, including 65 canceled flights and 96 rescheduled flights.
Chiang Mai Airport is also stepping up security checks, increasing runway and taxiway inspection frequency from six to eight times a day to promptly clear away any lantern debris that may drift into flight areas. Dedicated personnel are assigned to closely monitor the period when lanterns and smoke lanterns are released, ensuring immediate cleanup when notified by the control tower or pilots.